SAHIWAL: Three persons, including two women, died and 18 others were injured in a road accident near Chichawatni Bypass on the Lahore–Multan National Highway early on Saturday.

The National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) said the Lahore-bound bus coming from Sadiqabad hit the oil tanker from its rear side, resulting in the accident.

The Rescue 1122 rushed to the spot and pulled more than 40 passengers by breaking windowpanes.

Rescue sources identified the three deceased as 20-year-old bus hostess Rashida Batool, a resident of Sadiqbad, bus security guard Adeel Umer, 35, a resident of Rahim Yar Khan, and passenger Kiran Arif, 39, a resident of Lahore.

The injured were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Chichawatni, from where two passengers in a critical condition were referred to the DHQ Teaching Hospital, Sahiwal.

Eyewitness said the accident happened because the bus driver had dozed off. Because of the collision, thousands of litres oil leaked from the tanker and spread on the road.

The NH&MP and Saddar police station, Chichawatni, cordoned off the area and blocked the leakage from the tanker. Police arrested the bus driver.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2018